Inside Outside

Tomorrow we're beginning our study of Ancient Greece. Some of the Herons were very excited. They love ancient Greece they told me because they had studied it in the Egrets. My heart sank. How could I have missed that fact? We keep a careful record of all of our themes in a shared database. I should have known that the Egrets had learned about Ancient Greece two years ago and now it was one our main themes for the year…

A few hours of reflection has brought me to a better place. When Gabe and I sat down to plan the unit, we began with a key learning we wanted every child to understand: our experience colors our understanding of an event. There are many different ways to see a single historical "fact." The story that gets told is the story as understood by the figures with the most power but it is not the only perspective.

Role play will help us bring students to this key understanding. In role play, students feel what their character feels, but they are separate enough from it to see that another's experience may be different. Because it is "play" there is enough distance to acknowledge that another's viewpoint is valid from his or her perspective. In our theme, students experience events from the viewpoint of the militaristic meritocracy of Sparta or the artistic democracy of Athens. Some will be men, some women. Some will be privileged. Others will be slaves.

The Herons had another chance to talk about this inside/outside experience today when we were talking about possible groupings for our forest school. Some kids wanted to make their own groups. I was very hesitant. There will be kids, I explained, who aren't a part of a group. "We'd let someone join us!" one student insisted. I pushed on that idea. There is a difference between knowing that you'll be a part of a group from the get-go and being invited to join an already formed group. If you're someone who is always included, it's very hard to imagine what it feels like to be someone who is often left out. It's hard to see beyond your own experience. I asked how many kids sometimes didn't have a place to sit at lunch. Many raised their hands. Many looked around surprised…they take belonging for granted. When you're inside, I explained, it's hard to see outside — but it's very important to try.

Which brought us to the election. We talked about it today and our conversation was good and productive. I have never experienced an election in which two groups so fundamentally can't understand the other's experience. This has caused fear and distrust and anger on both sides. For us to move forward, we must strive to understand each other and find the common concerns that lie underneath our diverse ideas for solutions.

So back to Ancient Greece. The Kestrels and Herons will learn together that every event can be seen from a multitude of perspectives. For every story that is recorded in a history book, there are so many others which have gone untold. And their job, as they grow into adult hood, will be to see the outside when they are on the inside.